TRENTON — Gary Sanchez has the physique of big league all-star and the face of a college sophomore.

This combination shouldn’t come as a surprise. At just 20 years old, Sanchez is Baseball America’s 34th-best prospect in all of baseball, which means that at the moment he is both the most highly-touted prospect in the Yankees’ system and still very much developing as a ball player.

That can be a dangerous combination, especially considering the weight of expectations that come with being a part of the Yankees’ organization. Since being called up to the Thunder on Aug. 3, however, the Dominican-born catcher has looked more like an old pro that an unpolished rookie.

“He’s pretty good,” said Thunder manager Tony Franklin, with a smile. “As a matter of fact, he’s really good. (He has) the ability to throw the ball, catch the ball, hit the ball for power.”

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Despite the jump in competition, Sanchez’s bat hasn’t missed a beat. In his 29 Double-A at-bats before Thursday night’s game, Sanchez was hitting a robust .349 with four doubles.

“(I’m) just trying to see the ball and make good contact right now,” he said through an interpreter. “I’m feeling alright.”

His performance at the plate, however, has probably been less important than his improvement behind it. Coming into the season, scouts agreed that he could hit but were less convinced about his ability defensively.

Early reports from those in Trenton suggest that Sanchez’s reputation as a hitter first and catcher second isn’t as true as it used to be.

“I know that’s how it was early on,” said Thunder starter Mikey O’Bien, who tossed 5 2/3 strong innings with Sanchez behind the plate Wednesday night. “Since two years ago when he caught me (for the Low-A) Charleston (RiverDogs), he’s gotten a lot better, he really has. He cares about scouting reports, he reads hitters swings better, he wants to talk to pitchers more and get a feel for what they want to do. I think I shook him maybe two or three times all night, so he called a great game.”

Sanchez said that improving his defense has been a major focus this season.

“(I) keep getting better on that part of the game,” he said. “(This is my) best year so far right now defensively, with the pitching staff, trying to get as much information as possible to get on the same page. I’ve been doing that so far this year.”

The evidence of his improvement isn’t just anecdotal. This season in Tampa, Sanchez threw out an impressive 46 percent of base-stealers, up significantly from 29 percent in 2012.

Even with his recent strides, some still speculate that Sanchez’s future could be at a position other than catcher, if only to expedite the arrival of his bat to the Bronx. The question is also clouded by the emergence of former Thunder catcher J.R. Murphy as a legitimate prospect as well. Murphy, 22, is well-regarded defensively, and is hitting .278/.357/.438 at Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

“I think it’s too early to talk about that,” said Franklin, about a possible change of position. “He’s 20 years old. He really hasn’t shown everyone what he can do as a catcher. You get someone at that age, with his ability to hit for power, throw runners out, I think you would want that guy behind the plate for a long period of time. They don’t come along to often.”

As for those New York-sized expectations, Sanchez appears to be taking the correct attitude.

“I don’t think about that,” he said. “I’m trying to do my job, and not think about all that stuff.”

For Yankees’ fans impatient with the Bombers’ current crop of backstops, Franklin had a more direct message about letting Sanchez continue to grow if and when he makes it to the majors.

“Don’t expect Hall of Fame play right away,” Franklin said. “Expect a very good player, and expect him to be very consistent in his play, but give him an opportunity to learn at the major league level. He just got here, so he’s still adjusting.”

About the Author

Former Trentonian sportswriter and utility man. New York Jets, Princeton basketball, Mercer/Bucks county high schools, Trenton Thunder. Tulane grad. Former Times-Picayune and NFL.com intern. Reach the author at nperuffo@trentonian.com
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